Running tread



' Feb. 4,-1930. 1 I A. K EGRESSE 1,745,032

' RUNNING TREAD Fild April 15, 1928 1' 7 A Agreas e i i .5 J i I I Patented Feb. 4, 1930 RUNNING n w"; f ii Application filed April 13,1928, Serial No. 269,781; and n1 m ance'a ni s, 1927.

i It well known that in order that a trailer may be capable of running at high speed, one

' j essential is that it comply with certain conditions as to resiliency, the latter being ob- 5 tained by means of the wheels and of the suspension thereof. v

' There are at present many types of traillers which do not meet such requirements, and 'which, owing to that fact, are unserviceable (,for hooking up tohigh speed motor tractors.

By far the greater part of the Army equip ment at present in existence is in this plight, especially artillery; v I The object of my invention is to provide 15 a removable running tread adapted for rapid fitting on such trailers and calculated to enable them to be dragged along without any inconvenience at the travelling speed of modern' motor tractors.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a deviceaccording to my invention, the wheelof the trailer being removed; r

' Figure 2 is aplanview' thereof; v

Figure 3 is an end view, with parts in section on line A.B of. Figure 1.

In all the figures the trailer is represented by a rectangular body 1 resting directly upon an 'axle 2 the ends of which receive ordinary wheels 3. 1

As will be apparent said trailer has no suspension and, therefore, cannot be dragged along at high'speed. v j The improvements which are the subject of my invention and which will enable such a trailer to be dragged along at high speedcom prise twosimilar devices, that isto'say one for each of the wheelsSof the trailer.

Each device comprises a strut 4;. (Figures 2 and 3) mounted on the axle 1 by the side of the wheel'3. The lower part of said strut 4; carries an articulation 5 (Figures 1 and 8) a serving as a pivotfor two parallel springs 6 between the ends of which are mounted two Wheels 7 which may be rubber-tired.

The whole is so arrangedthat, the device being in position, the wheels 3 of the trailer will be lifted a few centimeters above the ground.

Strut 4 is rigidlyconnected with the trail- 7 improve the travellfiofthei trailer overall centimeters until the trailer wheels 3 bearer and braced by any suitable means; such means being,'in the exampleshown, two diagonaltierods 8 (Figure 1 and 3). i

Y The operation of-the above desc'r'ibed' con-'- struetion will be realized at a glance z Whe'els- 7, on being lifted by ground un evennsses, V

will takeaction on springs 6,. thereby transinitting damped shocks through struts a to; the trailer: Articulation "5 'willj perm'itwheels 7' to move i in} the vertical planejinde pendently of one another andr'educeystill" more the force of the shocks received by said wheelsand-transmitted to theaxle of the trailer-through'strut 4. The latter may be re movably mounted either on the axle of the. trailer, as inthefexample illustrated-, xor in any other manner without altering 'the char a'ctero-f-my invention;

It will be noticed that the invention-will kinds of ground.

On hard ground, wheels 7 and springs6 I will meet requirements as to resiliency and rep sponsivity necessary for high speeds.

On soft ground, wheels 7 will sinkafew in their turn on the ground. There will thus be obtained abroad bearing surface that will limit sinking and consequently facilitate rollingalong of the whole. 3.

The foregoing description is diagrammatical like the drawing. Obviously many modifications of the device'can be devised without thetrailer arranged one in front of the other in the space between'the corresponding pair of sprlngs and connected at their centers to the ends of the springs. g

2. A trailer and running tread, according to claim 1, in which the trailer wheels are normally raised above the surface of the ground, while the tread wheels rest on the ground.

3. A trailer and running tread, according to claim 1, in which the tread wheels and springsare located betweenfthe trailer wheels and the adjacent sides of the trailer body, it

4. A trailer and running tread, according to claim 1, in which tl'i'e tread wheels and springs are located between the trailer wheels and the adjacent sides of the trailer body; and in Whichthe trailer Wheels are normally raised above the surface of the ground, While the tread wheel's rest on the ground.

5. A non-suspended trailer, comprising a 7 body, a pair or: depending struts at opposite sides of the body and rigidly related thereto, a pair of parallel springs articulated at their centers to the lower end of each strut, the

' springs of each pair being arranged in spaced relation, and a pair of tread wheels at oppos-.

ite sides of the trailer arranged one in front of the other in thespa cebetween the corresponding pair of springs and connected at their centers to the ends of the springs.

6. non-suspended trailer, according to claim 5*, in which each strut is braced by a pair of diagonal tie rolls connected at their lower ends to the strut and at their upper ends to the trailer body.

In testimony, that I claim; the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

ADOLPHE' KEGRESSE. 

